United States v. Hogan

933 F. Supp. 1008, 1996 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 10514, 1996 WL 411137
CourtDistrict Court, D. Kansas
DecidedJune 18, 1996
Docket96-40006-01-SAC
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 933 F. Supp. 1008 (United States v. Hogan) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Kansas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. Hogan, 933 F. Supp. 1008, 1996 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 10514, 1996 WL 411137 (D. Kan. 1996).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM AND ORDER

CROW, District Judge.

The case comes before the court on the defendant’s motion to suppress evidence (Dk. 17), motion to compel discovery regarding informant (Dk. 18); motion for Rule 404(b) *1011 disclosure (Dk. 20); and motion to suppress statement (Dk. 21). The government has responded opposing these motions. (Dk. 28). On March 22, 1996, the court heard arguments and evidence on these motions, denied the motion for 404(b) disclosure (Dk. 20) as moot, and deferred ruling on the other motions until the defendant’s mental competency issues had been resolved. (Dk. 25). By written order filed March 22, 1996, the court granted the defendant’s motion (Dk. 19) for mental evaluation. (Dk. 24).

At the hearing on the defendant’s mental competency held June 10, 1996, the court found that the defendant was not suffering from a mental disease or defect at the time of the alleged offense or at the present time so as to impair his ability to assist in his defense. At the competency hearing, the parties said they had nothing to add to their positions on the pending motions. Having reviewed the matters and evidence submitted, the court is ready to rule.

INDICTMENT

The grand jury returned an indictment on January 31, 1996, charging the defendant with one count of bank robbery. Specifically, the indictment charges that the defendant on January 10, 1996, unlawfully took by force and violence and intimidation from Shannon A. Mark approximately $6,425.00 in currency belonging to Lyon County State Bank, Em-poria, Kansas, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2118(a).

FACTS

The following facts are taken from the Officer Patrick Ford’s affidavit submitted in support of the search warrant. On January 10, 1996, a man wearing sunglasses entered the Lyon County State Bank and approached the teller station serviced by Shannon Mark. The man handed Mark a sealed white envelope. Mark opened the envelope and read the note which said: “I have a gun. Pass the money fast. No dye pacs, or you die.” Mark first pulled the bait money which tripped the alarm and activated the lobby cameras. She then handed over $6,425 in cash, approximately $3,000 in twenty dollar bills and the remaining in fifty and one hundred dollar bills. The robber put the money in a tote bag and went out the south doors of the bank.

Bank employees generally described the robber as a skinny white male who was approximately 5'7" to 5'8" tall. He appeared young and no older than his mid-twenties. He did not have any facial hair. He was wearing a ball cap, and his hair was short as none was hanging out of the cap. He wore dark sunglasses which kept them from seeing his eyes. He also wore a blue and white bandanna and a loose-fitting jacket. The color of his tote bag was tan.

In responding to the alarm, Lieutenant Heinitz with the Emporia Police Department drove south on Constitution Street where he observed a white male wearing a baseball cap and carrying a tote bag walk between two houses in the 900 block of Constitution Street. When he arrived at the bank and heard the descriptions of the robber, Heinitz realized that he had probably seen the suspect in the 900 block of Constitution Street.

On January 11, 1996, Detective Davis with the Emporia Police Department was contacted by a cooperating individual (“Cl”) concerning this bank robbery. Officer Ford’s affidavit reports that the Cl provided the following information:

The Cl says that on 1-10-96, James HOGAN asked the Cl if the Cl read the newspaper tonight (about the bank robbery). HOGAN told the Cl, “that was me.” The Cl said HOGAN was flashing a lot of money, including stacks of one-hundred dollar bills. The money was in a brown cloth square bag. HOGAN told the Cl that he had robbed a bank that same day. HOGAN said he went into the bank, gave the teller a note, threatened her, and she gave him the money. The Cl said HOGAN was wearing a blue bandanna when he told the Cl about robbing the bank. HOGAN said after robbing the bank, he went home to 920 Congress Street.
The Cl says that James HOGAN is a white male with blue eyes and brown hair. His head is almost shaved and is 5'10" tall and 125 pounds and wears baggy clothing. The Cl said HOGAN lives on ground floor of 920 Congress Street, Emporia, Lyon *1012 County, Kansas, and has a roommate named Jeff, who drives a black extended cab pick-up truck.

The Cl said that HOGAN left town but said he left most of the money with his roommate, Jeff, at 920 Congress Street. Based upon the above facts, officers obtained a search warrant for the ground floor premises of 920 Congress Street, Emporia, Kansas, to search for a dark or bright blue baseball cap, a blue jacket, tan or gray baggy pants, dark wrap-around sunglasses, blue and white bandanna, tan boots or tan high-top tennis shoes, a tan square tote bag, and $6,425.00 cash, including serial numbered twenty dollar bills.

It is undisputed that Emporia police officers executed the search warrant on January 12, 1996, and seized such items as a blue baseball cap, tote bag, sunglasses and blue bandannas. An arrest warrant was later issued for James Hogan.

Officers of the Garden City, Kansas Police Department along with special agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”) arrested Hogan at a motel in Garden City on January 12, 1996. Hogan was taken to the Garden City Police Department where he was interviewed approximately an hour later.

Special FBI Agent Darrell Yarnall and Detective Sergeant Michael Utz of the Garden City Police Department met with Hogan in the interview room. Agent Yarnall read the advice of rights form to Hogan and showed it to him. Hogan told Agent Yarnall that he understood his Miranda rights and then signed the written waiver. From his experience in handling intoxicated persons and persons suffering from mental illness, Agent Yarnall was not able to observe in Hogan a pattern of statements or actions consistent with being under the influence of alcohol or drugs or consistent with suffering from a mental disease or defect. Agent Yar-nall testified that Hogan was talkative during the interview but that this was not unusual for some suspects. Hogan made a couple of statements that were “a little abnormal,” but he demonstrated an adequate ability to understand and communicate. He answered questions responsively and reasonably and even propounded some questions to the officers. Hogan’s eyes were focused, and his skin color seemed appropriate. Agent Yar-nall said that Hogan was never threatened, forced, coerced or pressured into answering any questions. Hogan never asked for the interview to end and never said that he did not understand a question or did not know why he was being interviewed. Hogan told the officers that he committed the bank robbery in Emporia and that he was “high” on drugs when he did it. Hogan did not say whether he was under the influence of drugs at the time of his arrest or interview. Hogan’s account of the bank robbery at Empo-ria was consistent with the facts as known by the interviewing officers.

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Bluebook (online)
933 F. Supp. 1008, 1996 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 10514, 1996 WL 411137, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-hogan-ksd-1996.